Kongsrudia, Lygre, Frøydis & Schander, Christoffer, 2010

Lygre, Frøydis & Schander, Christoffer, 2010, Six new species of pyramidellids (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Pyramidelloidea) from West Africa, introducing the new genus Kongsrudia, Zootaxa 2657, pp. 1-17 : 3

Genus Kongsrudia new genus

Diagnosis: Shell tall, solid, slender, conical, white with pointed apex. Protoconch of type B, sometimes tending to C (van Aartsen 1977, 1981; van der Linden & Eikenboom 1992). Whorls slightly convex. Suture distinct, shallow- moderately deep, noticeably oblique. Axial ribs elevated, shouldered straight and orthocline to slightly prosocline. Interspaces much broader than ribs. Ribs continue more or less clearly down to base. Spiral sculpture of distinct ridges, distinct also crossing axial ribs, giving a grid-like appearance. Interspaces are equally broad or broader than ridges. Spirals continue to the base. Aperture oval, with distinct columellar tooth. Inner side of outer lip often with several prominent ridges. Umbilicus distinct. The combination of characters is not present in any other pyramidellid genus.

Type species: Actaeopyramis gruveli Dautzenberg, 1910

Etymology: The genus is named in honor of Jon Anders Kongsrud, Bergen Museum, who has been instrumental in getting the material collected during the GCLME project worked up and put to scientific use.

Comments: There are several West African species that belong in this genus and are here formally transferred to the genus Kongsrudia : Pyrgulina approximans Dautzenberg, 1913a ; Chrysallida ersei Schander, 1994 ; Pyrgulina mutata Dautzenberg, 1913b (nom. nov. pro P. lamyi Dautzenberg 1913a non P. lamyi Dautzenberg & Fischer, 1906 ). Pyrgulina jullieni Dautzenberg, 1913a is similar, but have a very marked shoulder on the whorls, and until further information is available, we refrain from including this species in Kongsrudia . According to Schander et al. 1999, Chrysallidinae comprises close to 50 genera. After comparing the species with available descriptions and illustrations of type species we have not been able to comfortably fit the above mentioned species in to any of those genera. The genus Kongsrudia shows some similarities to the genus Pyrgulina A. Adams, 1863 with the type species Chrysallida casta A. Adams, 1861 (Subsequent designation Dall & Bartsch, 1904), but the spiral sculpture in this genus is far less prominent, and the species of Pyrgulina also tends to be broader in outline. The genus Trabecula Monterosato, 1884 with the type species Trabecula jeffreysiana Monterosato, 1884 is similar in outline, but lack the marked striations and the axial sculpture does not reach the base of the shells.